Urban League of Palm Beach County robbed fifth time

WEST PALM BEACH, FL (WFLX) - The Urban League of Palm Beach County is cleaning up after someone broke into the facility on Saturday.

This marks the fifth break-in at the Australian Avenue location in only two years. It's also the second break-in this month.

The non-profit organization's CEO Patrick Franklin says the damage and thefts aren't only costly for the Urban League, but they also cost the families that they serve. "This is what we live with now," said Franklin. "I dread when my phone rings on a Saturday or Sunday morning to say that we had a break-in."

Sunday morning, Franklin found his computers, keyboards and monitors were gone.

He says more than a dozen computers have been stolen in the combined thefts.

Franklin says he added security lighting to the outside of the building and boarded up windows and doors, but, he says, it's still not enough to keep intruders away.

Now, he is looking for ways to upgrade his security without jeopardizing community services. "Each break-in, that's a hundred people that we could have served in some form or fashion," Franklin said. "We don't have the budget to keep replacing doors and windows, computers and phones."

Franklin is hoping for donations from the community to help secure the building.

You can contact the Urban League at 561-833-1461 or visit http://www.ulpbc.org/to learn how you can help.